I’ve seen this many times, and even more recently here in town. It almost looks like the drug overdoses we’ve been seeing.” Detective Wilcox folded her arms. “So what we do now, Officer Ridgeman?”
“Compile everything we have on who she is, contact the next of kin, and talk to anyone who might’ve seen her before she climbed into this truck today.”
Aiden frowned. “That would include the guy I saw her talking to yesterday, right?”
She’d been having a heated conversation in the office at the bowling alley when he found her. Along with a man who considered her someone who should answer to him. That meant he had responsibility for her, whether he liked it or not.
“Good idea.” Savanna nodded. “I’ll take the scene here, and you guys go to the bowling alley. See if you can find that guy and speak to him.” To Jessica, she said, “We can meet up later and talk to the next of kin.”
“Copy that.” Jessica turned to him. “What do you say, Donaldson?”
Aiden reached for his radio and called in his plans for him and Ridgeman to head to the bowling alley.
Jessica wiggled her fingers as they strode to the car. “I’m driving.”
“That will be difficult, considering I have the keys.”
She barked a laugh and got in the passenger side.
The bowling alley was open, but given it was midafternoon, patrons were pretty sparse. Aiden found the first employee he came across and explained they needed to speak with the manager.
A few minutes later, the man found them. “Can I help you, Officers?”
This guy had a red polo shirt that matched every other employee of the bowling alley, though his distended stomach stretched out the front. He also wore matching tan slacks. But it wasn’t the man from last night.
“We’re looking for a guy who was here yesterday, in an office through there.” Aiden pointed at the “Employees Only” door. “Shined black shoes, black slacks, and a white shirt.”
Jessica showed him the screen of her phone. “He was talking to this woman.”
It had to be a picture of her from the truck because the manager guy paled. “I’ve seen her around here, but I don’t know why she would be in the office.” He swallowed. “Is she…dead?”
“She was talking to the man we are looking for.” Aiden wondered if the guy was gonna let them look at their surveillance video. “Which means, now that she’s deceased, we need to know what your bowling alley has to do with her.”
“She was just a customer.” He shook his head and sweat beaded on his forehead. “We don’t have anything to do with her death. And no one who works here wears black slacks and a white shirt.” He flicked out his collar. “We’re all dressed like this.”
“If we could take a look at your security camera footage.” Jessica pointed at a camera high in the corner at the ceiling. “We can figure out for you who was in the office when they shouldn’t have been.”
The man lifted his chin. “If you think the bowling alley has anything to do with this woman’s tragic death, then you should come back with a warrant. Because I don’t have to give you access to anything.”
“Thank you for your time.” Aiden ushered Jessica to the door before she could say something they would both regret.
Now that the woman was dead, maybe they would never figure out if there had actually been a drug deal last night, or if what he had seen had been nothing at all.
It was a case for Savannah, though. And Jess, since she was shadowing Detective Wilcox. But not one that he, as a patrol officer, needed to be involved in.
As he turned, he spotted a familiar man over by the bar. Right where the dead woman had made the exchange with the construction worker.
Not related to the case. But still significant.
What was he doing here?
The man stared at him as he turned. Of course, Jessica caught it. She lightly whacked his arm. “Who is that guy?”
Aiden gritted his teeth and pushed the door open. He held it for her so she could leave first. He didn’t look back at the man in jeans, a winter jacket, and a beer in his hand, glaring daggers at him. As though anything that’d happened in his life was Aiden’s fault.
“Seriously, who is that guy?”
He said nothing.
“Professional, or personal?”
If he didn’t say professional, she would know it was personal whether he admitted that or not. So Aiden said, “Personal.”
“You, or